Tuesday, July 24, 2012

This new category of posts is designed to highlight
fun ways to explore astrology. Since the arts as healing are a big component of
Chiron
in Pisces, it might be fun with value added!

A friend recently turned
me onto Pinterest, which has become my
newest social networking adventure. Pinterest’s own definition: Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a
place where you can create collections of things you love and “follow”
collections created by people with great taste. Some of the boards I have created have
been very revealing to me from an astrological perspective: TV Shows I Still Miss,
Movies I Can’t Forget, and TV Shows I Watch.

I used IMDB, the Internet Movie Data Base, to pin
images to each of my boards. As I looked up each fave, I noticed the
descriptions of the TV show or movie. In the process, I discovered planetary
themes—and I believe which planet most colors my worldview. If you have a chart
with multiple influences by several different planets, it might be a revealing
exercise to list your 5-10 favorite movies and TV shows of all time. Visit IMDB
and look at the adjectives that
describe the shows. I’d love to hear if
you find your dominant planet, as I think I did mine, by taking a closer look
at your taste in TV shows or movies. The TV medium had a message for me!

Here are some examples
from my board, TV Shows I Still Miss:

Nash Bridges (probably my favorite show of all time) – Nash is described as a “smart aleckySan Francisco cop,” definitely a rebel and a rule breaker.

Northern Exposure - All about the characters in
an “eccentric Alaskan town.”

Twin Peaks – no doubt, there’s Pluto involved in this one,
but first, there’s another planet you might recognize in this description: “An idiosyncratic FBI Agent investigates the
murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic
town of Twin
Peaks.”

I’m sure I don’t need to
go on for you to recognize Uranus as a key character in the TV shows that have
been most memorable to me. There’s plenty of Pluto in many of them, too, but
it’s the unique, rebellious, eccentric and idiosyncratic characteristics of
these shows that draw me in.

As I’ve written many
times, I’m an outerplanetary
person and PUNC prominent (Plutonian, Uranian, Neptunian and Chironic). My media of choice are film and TV (Neptune) and my faves have a lot
of Pluto along with Uranus, suggesting no one of my PUNCs works solo. (PUNC
Solo. Wasn’t he a character in Star Wars?) However, if I were to grade
prominence strictly by closest relationship of these planets to a personal
planet or angle, the order for me would be: (1) Pluto, (2) Chiron, (3) Neptune, and (4)
Uranus. In my historical TV choices, Uranus is at the front of the line, not third
runner up. Along with the fact that most people who don’t know my chart think
I’m an Aquarius after spending time with me, I have to question whether the
outer planets, in actual practice, don’t ignore our assumption that the
tightest orb equals the most influence.

You can do this exercise with
movies, music, art on your walls, books on your shelves, or any other
entertainment or aesthetic medium you enjoy. Just a little astrological game to
play when you have a few spare minutes. Would love to hear about your
discoveries in the Comments!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

While looking for the next Quotes for the Planets, I
stumbled on a Rumi quotation site, and I didn’t have to go further to find a
quote for every planet.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad
Rūmī lived 30-September 1207 to 17 December 1273. [1] He was a Persian poet, theologian, and Sufi mystic. [2] Here’s
a place to sample some of his Love and Ecstasy Poems
with beautiful visuals to match. There are Rumi sites all over the Internet
(just jump on any search engine), and even though he is long gone, he has his own Facebook page. Last I heard,
he’s the best
selling poet in the United States. Here are some of the things he said in his lifetime
that strike me as profoundly planetary. [3]

Sun - “Shine like the whole universe is
yours.” ~ Rumi

Moon - “Moonlight
floods the whole sky from horizon to horizon; How much it can fill your room depends on its windows.” ~ Rumi, Essential Rumi

Mercury - “There is a way between voice and presence, where
information flows. In disciplined silence it opens; with wandering talk it
closes.” ~ Rumi

Venus –
“You think because you understand 'one' you must also understand 'two', because
one and one make two. But you must also understand 'and'.” ~ Rumi

Notes:

1. Rumi’s Chart. According to AstroDataBank, Rumi’s birth date is in question, but the
emphasis of a Neptunized Sun/Moon in Libra and the placement of Venus/Mars in
Scorpio makes sense to me. So does Chiron in Gemini trine Venus (out of sign);
Rumi’s words so heal the heart.

Flower Remedy for Mercury Retro - Until it came up in dowsing for my own recent essence blend, I had never realized how perfect Cosmos is for Mercury Retrograde. It is for integrating ideas and speech, coherent thinking, and
mercurial expression. It's an antidote for being tongue-tied, mentally muddled and other tricks of the Trickster traveling in reverse!

One of my colleagues says her
most important take-away from the recent United
Astrology Conference (UAC) was from a talk by Serbian astrologer Aleksandar
Imsiragic. Aleksandar said that the seven exact hits of Uranus square
Pluto, the first on June 24, correspond to realignment of our seven chakras. I
deeply resonate to this idea, and it seems too important a concept not to share.

From what I hear, since I
did not attend this particular presentation, Aleksandar’s remarks on this topic
in his lecture on the Political and Mundane Track on Crucial
Fixed Stars Influence, 2012 to 2015. (Reminder that CDs from the conference are
available: http://www.uacastrology.com/).

The chakra realignments
idea makes so much sense. Pluto forces us to let go or implode by clinging to
what no longer serves us and has become toxic. Its focus in Capricorn is on
structures. Our physical body has a skeletal structure and an energetic one;
the latter anchored into the body in our seven invisible energy wheels or
chakras. Electricity is ruled by Uranus. The two are intertwined. They support
each other and our very being. I believe
we now have the opportunity to let go of our limitations on handling higher
energy frequencies. What could be faster and higher vibrating than Uranus in Aries?
And where else could such a change take place than in our own, personal energy
centers? I believe the chakras are where we interface with the energy of the cosmos.
This is why I so resonate to the “password” affirmation I learned in SpringForest Qigong:

I am in the universe.
The universe is in my body. The universe and I are combined together.

Many astrologers are metaphysically
inclined, and we’ve heard about energy frequency shifts since the Harmonic
Convergence in 1987. We are being rewired to handle a bigger energy load. This
will give us the juice to become quick-change artists—to evolve not at a
snail’s pace but rapidly to meet the growth spurt whose brink we’re sitting on.
Most of us sit there in some degree of discomfort. That’s only because our
circuitry awaits this Uranus square Pluto awakening and rebirth. Since we sit
on our first chakra, my choice of words (unconscious until I reread them) makes
sense. The cosmos also has a great sense of humor. To fly by the seat of our
pants—to respond and react from instinct in the highest way that these new
energetics will allow us—we need to start our realignment in the chakras from
the bottom up, starting with first two where we sit. And, indeed, sitting in
meditation is how we make it happen.

Let’s look at each exact alignment
of Uranus square Pluto [1] and its associated chakra. Below is a review of the
features of each one and a suggested short meditation or affirmations for focus
during the months that specific chakra realignment is being activated.

First (Root) Chakra

Uranus square Pluto June 24 2012 – 8 degrees

Color – Red, Element -
Earth. The first chakra is our grounding cord, our interface with the Earth on
which we walk. To run high frequency energy, grounding is essential or we’ll
blow our circuits. This energy center is related to issues of security and
safety. A stable first chakra, indeed, is the “root” that allows other changes
to grow from it.

First/Root Chakra Meditation:
I am safe, secure and grounded. I expand my ability to manifest and bring into
practical application my spiritual ideals—my beliefs, goals and desires—and to
meet my material needs. I embrace the element Earth, where I walk on sacred
ground.

Second Chakra Meditation: I create from the river of life and send
my creations back to the Ocean of All.
I express myself with passion, gratitude, joy and generosity. I open to limitless
creativity and passion and the happiness that comes with them.

Fourth Chakra Meditation: I send tender thanks to my heart for
pumping life through my body and being. I protect my heart in the glow of universal
love, as I gently open it wide to forgive, forget and expand my ability to love
and be loved. I open to becoming more human.

Fifth (Throat) Chakra

Uranus square Pluto April 21 2014 – 13 degrees

Color – Blue. Element –
Air. Associated with communication.

Fifth (Throat) Chakra Meditation: I communicate with crystal
clarity the truth and power of All I Am. My words heal, join, and send love
into the world. I open to quickened, clear communication.

Sixth (Third Eye) Chakra Meditation: I see life with the inner eye
of universal love and knowing. I open to visions, cosmic wisdom and seeing the
vast possibilities of my own potential and the evolution of all humanity.

Seventh (Crown) Chakra Meditation: I am that I Am. I let cosmic
information and inspiration flow into my crown. The universe and I are combined
together. I expand this energy funnel to know without limits.

Planetary Associations with the
Chakras

I’ve
encountered differences of opinion in my research about which planets are
associated with each chakra. I resonate most to those in Ray Grasse’s Astrology
and the Chakras:

7th – Sun

6th – Moon

5th – Mercury

4th – Venus

3rd – Mars

2nd – Jupiter

1st - Saturn

Some
of these associations are no-brainers—Venus with the heart chakra and Mercury
with the 5th/throat chakra, for instance. Mars fits the 3rd/solar
plexus because this is where people can “cord” and manipulate us, seizing
control of our personal power. It’s also where we feel negativity or psychic
attack when it’s thrown at us, as well as where we receive friendly lobs of good
vibes that enable us to trust someone immediately.

I
also understand the reason for limiting the chakras to the seven classical
planets before the discovery of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron. The chakras
are a Vedic concept and these are the planets used in Vedic astrology. They
also correspond to our idea of “personal” planets. I had a little trouble with
Jupiter being associated with the 2nd chakra, until I thought of how
creativity and sexuality are so expansive and bring joy and laughter. (The
Inuit or Eskimo word for sex translates to laughing
together in bed.)

I
do think that the outer planets have a place just outside, if not within the chakra
scheme. Ray Grasse doesn’t state a planetary association with an additional 8th
chakra that rules transcendence and inspiration. Letting the outer planets into
the act, I’d assign that to Neptune. All great ideas are in the
cosmic soup. We transcend and are inspired—we access these ideas—by tapping
into the One Mind.

Uranus
awakens power in the chakra system. Chiron acts as a transformer. It amps
energy down, as needed, to help bring highly resonating Uranian information to
the chakras at a speed they can absorb as they adapt to the new message on the
cusp of amplification. I believe this because Saturn rules form, Uranus rules
electricity and electro-magnetic fields. Chiron orbits between these two
planets and acts as their intermediary. I believe Chiron acts as a bridge between
Saturn and Uranus in the chakra scheme, too. In Chiron’s famed role as a
healer, wellness often comes from shifting energy flow (chi or qi),
stimulated by tools such as acupuncture needles or qigong exercises. Healing is
closely connected to energy shifts.

Pluto,
the bringer of birth-death-rebirth and end/beginnings handles the cord of this
energy system. Pluto either yanks the cord out or plugs it in and is quite
adept at both. We are born. We live and die a million small deaths during one
lifetime on Earth, and after each demi-death, we are we are reborn again. (Plug
in, plug out.) For those who join me in believing in reincarnation, this is
also true in the larger sense after our one actual death in this lifetime.
Unplug and replug into a new birth and incarnation.

Smile and Say “Ease:” Hints from Aura
Photography

Many
years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Thelma Moss speak, a pioneer
researcher in parapsychological experiments at UCLA in the 1970s. Her work
involved Kirlian or aura photography. I was wowed when she shared that
researchers could detect, in pictures of an individual’s energy field, a
disease such as cancer six months before physical symptoms showed up in the
body. In other words, we create dis-ease—and conversely, ease—from our energy
fields inward to our bodies. What we change at the level of energy, usually
starting with our thoughts, changes us first and fundamentally. As Robin
Williams used to say in his act of the same name, “Reality—what a concept!”

This
reality still rocks my world and is my personal reason for wanting to be in
conscious coordination and harmony with the current and upcoming opportunities
to rewire each of my chakras. I suspect that people who do so will have a much
easier Uranus square Pluto than those who don’t—and I hope to hear back from
readers on your experiences.

More Meditation Suggestions

There
is plenty of time over the next three years to focus on each chakra whose
“expansion” is on tap. Here’s something to try during your regular meditations.
Focus feeling the energy of the particular chakra that’s being touched by
Uranus and Pluto. Envision the chakra wheel enlarging or spinning faster. Tune
into the changes and how you’re doing with the issues represented by each
chakra.

You
might consider opening your meditation with the affirmations for each chakra,
envisioning the colors and element of each one, enhancing your overall energy
flow by this acknowledgment. Spend more time on the Now Chakra, the one being
aligned by the current close Uranus-Pluto square. If you have Cardinal planets
being activated by the Uranus-Pluto Square, meditate on the issues they
represent, too. When focusing on the chakra that’s up for realignment now, be
sure to clear your mind and just “run energy” so that this chakra can talk back
to you. My first spiritual teacher used to say praying is talking to God; meditation
is listening to him. During meditation, it’s important to quit talking—even our
affirmations or mantras—long enough to let All That Is get a word in edgewise.

If
you explore the sites on chakras in the Notes, you’ll find many other tools for
working with chakra alignments. Some include resonant gems, homeopathic
remedies or flower essences. Be sure to work with the physical at some level,
especially during this First Root Chakra Alignment. Garden, dig in dirt, have
bodywork. (You’ll need it after the gardening.) Count your money. Count your
blessings for every material gift—aloud, even if only to yourself. Involving
the physical continues to anchor every change.

These
years of major transformation are a great time to keep a journal, written or
audio, on how your body-mind-spirit is absorbing this Cardinal realignment. You’ll
be growing so fast, you might want to go back and look how you got there—and be
able to share tips for accelerated evolution with your friends, loved
ones—maybe even the world.

Cardinal Vote

Here’s
one last metaphor to contemplate. In the Catholic Church, the College of
Cardinals—the assembly of priests who have risen to the highest rank of
Cardinal—determines the next Pope, the leader of them all and head of the
Church. The Cardinals hold the ultimate power, because they choose which one
among them will represent God on Earth. Ironically, it’s only during the
conclave to elect a new Pope that the college has any ruling power. [3]

While
Catholicism may not be your spiritual reality, our two astrological
Cardinals—Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn—indeed have assembled us. They’re
offering us an opportunity to determine who will rule our world and our energy
fields. Remember the collective impact of billions of votes among people like
you. Check your choice of who rules:

You As-Is, perhaps scared of what’s to
come, or

You Expanded to meet rapid evolution.

As
the Hopi and many others have foretold, we are the Ones that we have been
waiting for. If a simple but profound chakra tune-up helps us rise to that
occasion, let’s sit in stillness as often as possible during this critical rite
of passage and let the brighter, new cosmic light flood through our bodes, minds
and spirits.

For
those of us born into these turning-point times, I think it’s our job. After
all, to quote the wisdom of a great prophet, “You are the light of the world.”
[4]

I was thrilled, after writing this article, to discover The Grounding Touch. This site has everything you need to focus on retuning each of your chakras, including concise info about each one, yoga poses, mantras and aromatherapy. Enjoy!

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